The preparation of meals in institutional settings, such as hospitals, typically involves preparing the meals at a remote food preparation area, such as a hospital kitchen, and then transporting the prepared meals to the patients' rooms for consumption. At the food preparation area, various hot and cold food items are heated or chilled to an optimum temperature and then assembled on trays for serving. When large numbers of meals are to be prepared, transported, and served, food palatability often suffers as the time required to transport and serve the meals results in food being served at less than optimum temperatures. Additionally, the extended time often required to transport and serve the meals can result in food temperatures that do not meet governmental mandates.
What is needed, therefore, is an efficient and effective food temperature maintenance apparatus for transporting large numbers of prepared meals containing hot and cold food items placed on food service trays, and for maintaining the temperature of the hot and cold food items for an extended time after the meals are prepared.